Sprint Prepping Its Own “One Up” Early Upgrade Program

With all major carriers following T-Mobile’s lead on the early upgrade road, Sprint looks like it too is launching a plan of its own. Titled One Up, this will allow customers to purchase devices on a monthly payment plan, then upgrade devices after only a year with their current device. Previously, customers were only able to upgrade with no extra charge after two years of service.

Most of the early upgrade plans from each carrier are similar, but with small differences. For example, with Sprint’s One Up, there is no down payment for a device, which differs from T-Mobile’s hefty down payment. Instead, users pay for the device over 24 monthly installments. If the customer decides to end the plan early, they are then left to pay the remainder of the device’s cost on the following month. For a very detailed look at each of the differences found between carrier’s plan, check out our rundown right here.

According to CNET, much like T-Mo’s JUMP!, Sprint also takes the cost of the subsidy out of your plan’s rate. This is unlike Verizon and AT&T who factor in that cost on top of the monthly bill, effectively charging you twice.

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Does this include Handset protection? Because it should be said that T-Mobile’s $10 does.

Ray Gray

6% of customers are actually approved for these programs they really are a non factor in the large scheme of things.

CHRIS42060

If their marketing team does not include Super Mario Bros. (or at least the attempt to get permission) they all need fired.

joseph barrientos

seriously, whats the point when you dont have service? im ending my contract early and jumping to tmo or att, had verizon for years, never going back lol

hfoster52

To bad Sprint’s coverage is smaller than T-Mobile’s and their market share wasn’t higher. This might actually grab more attention then just plane ole trolling.

master94

Nice, now all sprint customer need is service

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Mon

find a phone online, ebay, swappa, etc because it is way cheaper to buy it outright and you actually have a better selection on what phone you want. All I have to say about this plan is….”Ha”…..

Detonation

Except you don’t get a warranty. And in the first couple weeks when phones just come out the second hand market is only marginally cheaper…I’ll pay the little bit extra to have a warranty and the benefits from buying new from an authorized retailer.

Now if we’re talking phones that are a year old, then yes, it’s far better to just buy them used.

Mon

Thats what I meant, older version go “on sale” as soon as the new piece of hardware drops

Chippah

This is BRAVO SIERRA.

Sprints Unlimited plans end up costing MORE than Verizon with 80% LESS coverage..

The coverage stinks, they should be paying ETF’s and handing out Top tier devices for free to stay relevent.

Omar Amer

I thought T-mobile removed up front payments from JUMP.

CHRIS42060

I am pretty sure they do a credit check if you don’t want to pay anything upfront.

Justtyn Hutcheson

“unlike Verizon and AT&T who factor in that cost on top of the monthly bill, effectively charging you twice.”

So very close. Change “on top of” to “into”, and you pretty much have it, finally, except for the whole “charging you twice” thing, which I’m done trying to fight.

That said, interesting move from Sprint. They took the best parts from each plan and made their own. I doubt it will help them much, but good deal for current customers.

Tim242

I don’t know what’s so hard for you to understand about being charged twice. You pay off the phone subsidy in your plan cost. The carriers have that built in to recoup costs. That’s the US model. Then if you buy your phone full price, you are paying the subsidy twice. The fact that they don’t drop the plan price is greed, not proof that the subsidy isn’t part of the plan. Most people understand this.

Justtyn Hutcheson

Because it simply doesn’t make sense. They factor in all their projected losses and desired profits before they calculate their plan costs. You pay that price, or you don’t get service. You are absolutely correct that not dropping the cost is pure profit-seeking, but it still does not constitute “paying twice”. Until they break out a separate payment for the “subsidy”, your money goes into one bucket that pays for everything. If they want to get rid of subsidies tomorrow, they can call that cost “device upgrade administration” and still charge the same amount and everyone would say “oh, okay then, as long as it isn’t a subsidy and I’m not paying twice”.

Cost is cost to both the consumer and the business. I would *like* to pay less per month for buying my phone outright, but Verizon has no impetus to lower their price. Similarly, Verizon saw a way to greatly increase their profits without any drawbacks, and they took it. If I had Verizon stock, I would be cackling with glee. As a customer, I’m unhappy but have little choice in the matter if I want Verizon’s service.

There are many things that “most people understand” that are flat wrong. Popular opinion does not in any way constitute truth or logical reasoning.

Tim242

I have worked for two carriers. Part of the training is about how long it takes them to make a profit, due to subsidies. It takes about18 months before they make a profit on a contract. You keep talking about what they may charge, and call it. You may be right, but that is irrelevant to what they charge now. They could say the phone subsidy is removed, and double their price. That doesn’t change how it is now.. As it stands now, the phone subsidy being paid by you in your plan. That is a fact. There’s a reason T-Mobile says that they take the subsidy out. Phone subsidies as part of the plan, is the American model. The rest of the world has cheaper plans, because they pay full retail. The point is, if you are paying full price for your phone, you SHOULD NOT BE PAYING THE SAME PLAN PRICE AS THE PEOPLE THAT ONLY PAID $200.

Justtyn Hutcheson

You are paying for Verizon’s losses. Label them what you wish, they are losses. Mitigating those losses is good business strategy. They are successfully getting rid of one of their primary sources of loss (subsidies) without needing to reduce their plan costs to compete. That is a superb business move.

As you say, the name put to what they charge now is completely irrelevant. Subsidy, device maintenance, CEO Bonus bucks, it doesn’t matter at all. Hence why saying you “pay twice” is completely asinine. When they get rid of subsidies (likely in the next year), will you still be “paying twice”? No, just like you aren’t doing so now.

Where we can agree is your final point. Whatever you call the costs covered by the plans (its all semantics at the end of the day), a person who owns their device outright should not be paying the same amount as someone in a contract. But until Verizon sees pressure from sliding subscriber growth, they will never lower their prices. And when they do, they’ll make up the difference somewhere.

Justin W

At least it’s more than 4 letters.

Capt. Crunch

Wow I really hope people wise up and just purchase a Nexus or something nice outright, these upgrade plans are total ripoffs.

Chris

Thats a great thing about Android. being able to use any phone/hardware you want and not just a silly nexus.

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Justtyn Hutcheson

Until unlocked devices are available on Verizon, their customers are screwed. I have money in hand, waiting to throw it at whoever gives me a developer’s edition that I can pay them directly for, and for some reason nobody seems to want my money.

Tim242

Sprint is taking part of the subsidy, but not all of it Notice, they are not showing family plans and cost. Their family plans are more expensive than Verizon’s.

Justtyn Hutcheson

Prove that it is more than $15/mo. If you figure the total subsidy is, on average, $350 (there is a reason that number is the standard early termination fee, that being assumed to be the amount required to not take a loss on a device sale), that is….$14.58/mo over 24 months. Interesting coincidence, no?

Tim242

The standard subsidy is $450. $650 – $200 = $450.

Justtyn Hutcheson

The retail MSRP takes into account significant profit off the device sale. That amount is not what it costs the carrier to purchase and sell the device. Even at $350 with a $200 down payment, they still likely make a profit, just a much smaller one. Except now, they always get full retail price, which is likely an increase in profit even with the reduction in plan cost.